Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Snail Vine Espalier
Snail Vine Espalier is snail vine started flat, ready to spread its tendrils across a trellis or fence. Its curled flowers look like snail shells, opening white and fading to lilac purple from spring into fall. The flowers carry a sweet scent, and bees and butterflies visit them. It grows fast and covers its support quickly in the warm months.
Best for: a fragrant flowering cover for a trellis or fence, patio walls with afternoon shade, and a conversation-piece vine.
The curled flowers look like snail shells and carry a sweet scent from spring into fall. Plant it where you sit or walk so you catch the fragrance.
It climbs by tendrils and covers a trellis, lattice or fence fast in the warm months. With support it reaches 10 to 20 feet, so space plants 6 to 8 feet apart.
It takes full sun to part shade but struggles on hot west walls. A wall or fence with afternoon shade in summer suits it.
It loses its leaves in winter, and a cold snap can kill it back to the roots. It returns strongly when warm weather comes back.
- Along a trellis or fence6-8 ft apart
- Wall cover6 ft apart
Set a trellis, lattice or wires a few inches off the wall before it gets going. Guide the stems flat as they grow, and trim those that head straight out.
Water every 3 to 4 days at first, easing to every 10 to 14 days by the second month. Once rooted, water about weekly in summer and every two weeks in winter.
Cut it back hard in early spring before new growth, then feed it once with a light fertilizer. Retrain the new stems flat.
It drops its leaves in winter and can die back in the cold. Leave it until early spring, then cut back the dead growth.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How do I train snail vine flat?
It climbs by tendrils, so give it a trellis, lattice or wires set a few inches off the wall. Guide new stems along the support and trim those that head straight out.
Why is it called snail vine?
The curled petals look like a snail shell. The flowers open white and fade to lilac purple.
Are the flowers fragrant?
Yes. They have a sweet scent from spring into fall, so plant it near a patio or path.
Does it need full sun?
It takes full sun to part shade but struggles on hot west walls. Give it some afternoon shade in summer.
How often should I water it?
Once rooted, water about every 7 days in summer, every 10 days in spring and fall, and every 14 days in winter.
What happens in winter?
It loses its leaves, and a cold snap can kill it back to the roots, which take about 20°F. It comes back strongly in warm weather.
When should I prune it?
Cut it back hard in early spring before new growth, then guide the new stems flat along the support.
How big does it get?
With support it reaches about 10 to 20 feet tall and wide. As an espalier you trim it to the space you want covered.
Snail Vine Espalier for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Snail Vine Espalier is Vigna caracalla started flat on a support. Below: training, flowers and scent, sun, water, winter dieback and pruning.
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Snail vine espalier
Give the tendrils a trellis, lattice or wires a few inches off the wall and guide the stems flat.
Why is it called snail vine?
Its curled flowers look like snail shells, opening white and fading to lilac purple.
Is snail vine fragrant?
Yes, the flowers have a sweet scent from spring into fall.
Snail vine sun in Phoenix
Full sun to part shade, with afternoon shade in summer, since it struggles on hot west walls.
Snail vine in winter
It loses its leaves and can die back to the roots, then returns strongly in warm weather.
Pruning snail vine
Cut it back hard in early spring before new growth.
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